


Conversations

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Canon verse, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-13 22:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10523022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: "Taking a deep breath, Jack pushed open the door to the kitchen and walked in."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Jack Harkness is such a great matchmaker

Taking a deep breath, Jack pushed open the door to the kitchen and walked in. The Doctor was seated at the table studying a cup of rapidly cooling tea, but he didn't look up and Jack hadn't expected him to. Jack pulled out the chair on the other side of the table and sat down, folding his arms across his chest and regarding the Time Lord, trying to figure out what exactly he could say to him. 

The day had been a typical one for the travelers on the TARDIS: a summons via psychic paper to a village in need of help, a race against the clock in order to mix up the right concoction of life-giving medicine, and the inevitable party when they succeeded. All in all, it should have been another "everyone lives" day and they should have left with a sense of euphoria and the satisfaction of a job well done. And it had been, right up until the son of the village leader had taken a special shine to Rose, dancing with her and paying her an endless stream of compliments. The Doctor had, of course, gotten sulkier with each progressive dance and had failed to notice the longing looks Rose was sending him. As a result, by the time they had left the party and made their way to the TARDIS, the Doctor was not thinking clearly and had made one or two comments in extremely poor taste about Rose and her standards. Rose had retreated to her room in tears and the Doctor had stormed off to make tea.

Jack had briefly entertained going after Rose to offer comfort himself, but figured that would be adding insult to injury in the Doctor's mind. So, instead, he was sitting here, glaring at the Time Lord across the table, and wondering when he had become a bloody pre-marriage counselor. 

"You know, for a genius you're really stupid," Jack said finally.

The Doctor's head snapped up and he leveled his best Oncoming Storm glare at Jack, but did not deign to answer.

"I mean, why keep stringing her along if you don't plan to do anything about it? Sooner or later, and personally I'm thinking sooner, she is going to get fed up with you and move on. And that Ylven dude today was a pretty good choice, I've got to say. Definitely made me perk up with interest," Jack continued conversationally.

"Go away, Jack," the Doctor growled.

"So you can what? Continue to brood into your tea while Rose cries herself to sleep? I mean, seriously, Doc, Rose isn't going to stay with you forever." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Jack regretted them. The Doctor slumped further into himself, his face going abruptly blank. "That's not what I meant."

"Yes, it is. And it's true," the Doctor said shortly. 

"Okay, you know what? Maybe she won't, maybe she can't, but you two could be happy together with the time you've got. You think that pushing her away at every possible opportunity is really going to make it hurt less when she's gone? At least you could have some sexy memories to look back on." He winked suggestively, hoping to lighten the mood.

"What do you know about it? You're a human, a stupid ape." The Doctor rolled his eyes and looked away.

Jack nodded agreeably, "So you've said."

For a time there was silence. This was not the first time Jack had attempted to have this discussion with the Doctor and he wasn't sure what he could say now that he hadn't said a hundred times before. The Doctor was full of reasons why it would never work and all of Jack's arguments why it would never seemed to get through his thick Time Lord skull.

"Can't you just admit you love her?" Jack finally asked, frustrated beyond belief.

"Yes." His answer was immediate and terse. 

Jack stared at him, mouth dropping open. Of all the things he had expected the Doctor to say, that was not one of the options. "What?"

"Yes, I love her. What else do you want me to say? I've loved her from the moment she took my hand and I'll love her till the day my last days give out. Doesn't change anything." The Doctor crossed his arms and gave Jack a challenging look.

"What do you mean it doesn't change anything?" Jack recovered his ability to speak. "It changes everything."

"It doesn't. I am an old man who has killed people. She is a young woman who is pure and innocent." He spoke slowly as if he was explaining something to a very young child. 

"And so you can't shag because of some age difference and lifestyle choices? That's the biggest load of crap I've heard you spout yet." Jack shook his head. "So you've hurt people. I heard about what happened in Utah, Rose doesn't care about that. She's forgiven you and loves you anyway."

"She shouldn't."

"Should or shouldn't doesn't come into love, Doc. Believe me, I know," Jack nodded wisely. He was possibly not the universe's expert on love per se, but he was close to the universe's expert on shagging and a lot of the same concepts applied. Not to mention this front row seat to the greatest love story he was sure the world had ever seen, or would hopefully ever see. 

The Doctor was studying his cold tea and didn't seem likely to speak again.

"So, she loves you, you love her. Now what?" Jack asked.

"Now you go to bed and leave me alone," the Doctor looked at the door pointedly.

"No can do, Doc," Jack shrugged expansively. 

"This story doesn't have a happy ending, Jack. They rarely do."

"It could, if you let it." 

The Doctor's glare could have quelled a lesser man. "When you are an immortal being, come talk to me. Until then, leave me alone." 

Jack rolled his eyes, shoving his chair back and leaning over the table. With one hand he hit the Time Lord upside the head, a practiced move from years of training Time Agent recruits, and then turned on his heel and left the room, ignoring the Doctor's indignant splutters behind him. He strode through the doorway, turning into the hallway intent on bed, and ran straight into Rose. He grabbed her shoulders, steadying them both, and in doing so, caught a good look at her face. It was splotchy from crying and there were fresh tear tracks on her cheeks. She was wringing her hands and looking between him and the open doorway.

"Just wanted to get a drink. Didn't mean to listen in," she broke off, staring over Jack's shoulder.

Jack glanced behind him. The Time Lord had come out to see the commotion and was frozen, staring at Rose with an indecipherable expression on his face. Looking between him and Rose, Jack made up his mind. He took a step forward and gently shoved Rose's shoulders, sending her stumbling forward a few steps to where the Doctor automatically caught her, his hands lingering on her waist.

"There you go. Kiss and make up. And have lots of fantastic sex and think of me. Or don't. Just...do something. I'm off to bed." He brushed his hands off and turned on his heel, heading up the hall to his bedroom. He dearly hoped they would indeed do something, the tension was getting unbearable.

Early the next morning, before he had a chance to enquire after their night, there was a flash of light, and they were transported away. Years later he took a moment in a crowded console room to ask Rose how things went that night after he went to bed. Her smile was enigmatic, but she did give him a hearty kiss on the cheek, and Jack figured that was as good an answer as any.


End file.
